suspicious Tussah

[lolaM]

So i decided to give the whole Tussah silk thing a go and purchased what i thought was a good deal off of ebay. Now that its arrived im a little suspicious if its the real deal but having never used or seen it before i thought i would post a pic up here and see what you experienced folks think. It doesn't look silky at all, although it does feel nice n soft. There also seems to be a few thicker "threads" mixed in with it.
I mixed a little piece in with my hot lye solution and now that its pretty much dissolved the solution has a definite stink to it which i was definitely not expecting. Worried how this will effect the overall smell of the finished soap. Anyhoo.... it's in there now so guess we shall see how it turns out

 

[cmzaha]

Looks like tussah to me. I have seen it differ in color and have some dark beige tussah. I really prefer silk cocoons because they are much cleaner than tussah. Many things added to lye will smell but it will go away when the soap is finished. I used to purchase cocoons from a silk worm farm but now use these https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MED8PLQ/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20 and cannot beat the price

 

[earlene]

I Googled, 'what does tussah silk look like?' and got several of links with photos:

http://www.wildfibres.co.uk/html/tussah_silk.html

https://www.brambleberry.com/tussah-silk-fiber-p6041.aspx

http://www.storiesinthewoolshed.com/blog/introducing-tussah-silk

https://www.adelaidewalker.co.uk/tussah-silk

https://www.etsy.com/listing/207097997/tussah-silk-yarns-looks-like-dreadlocks

It looks like it can vary quite a bit depending on how the spinner creates the yarn.

Looks like tussah to me. I really prefer silk cocoons because they are much cleaner than tussah. Many things added to lye will smell but it will go away when the soap is finished. I used to purchase cocoons from a silk worm farm but now use these https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MED8PLQ/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20 and cannot beat the price

Carolyn, I remember you posting about that before. How many cocoons do you use per batch or ppo or whatever you choose to determine how many to use for a specific batch size of soap?

 

[lolaM]

cool! never heard of using the cocoons before? do you just dissolve one in the lye like you do with the silk threads?

 

[cmzaha]

cool! never heard of using the cocoons before? do you just dissolve one in the lye like you do with the silk threads?

@earlene I snip up the cocoon into shreds and put 1-2 in my hot lye solution, which will turn yellow. Make sure you add them in right after dissolving your lye so the solution is hot, they will not dissolve in warm or cool lye, you end up with clumps of undissolved silk. My batches are 59 oz of oils with approx 8.5 oz lye. I also add them into my master batch at the same rate.

Originally I use cocoons that were freeze dried and whole so I had to snip them open, but the one's I posted the link for have been cleaned so are much easier to use. My biggest complaint with tussah is, I never found it to be real clean and would end up with floaties

 

[earlene]

Do you use it in your masterbatch lye? That would certainly make it easier, I think. I put some in my cart to include in my next Amazon order, which is probably going to be in a day or two. Can't wait to give this a try.

 

[Cellador]

I just got some Tussah silk & used it for the first time this weekend. It definitely created a burnt smell when I dissolved it in the lye solution. But, it did add a nice texture to the soap, and the smell doesn't last.

 

[Obsidian]

I use cocoons too. I like to soak mine a bit in hot water before using. I find they dissolve a bit easier if the are already soaking.

I cut them in half and add before the lye, they dissolve well with no floaties. I never have to strain. I use one for a 1-2 lb batch. I've never noticed them smelling.

 

[SoapAddict415]

I've never used the cocoons before, I'll have to try that. Thanks for the link cmzaha! They're in my cart! What I've used before looked similar to the silk from Brambleberry but mine was precut into 1 inch segments. It's been a while but I think I got it from Bulk Apthocary. I've also used silk amino acids (a very fine powder) from Lotion Crafters.

 

[cmzaha]

Do you use it in your masterbatch lye? That would certainly make it easier, I think. I put some in my cart to include in my next Amazon order, which is probably going to be in a day or two. Can't wait to give this a try.

I add around 10 cocoons in my gallon 50/50 master batch

 

[BattleGnome]

You can always test the silk with a burn test. It’s not perfect but you’ll have an idea if it’s an animal fiber (doesn’t burn too well) or something else.

 

[SoapSap]

This looks like what I use and it is fine. I use about a thimble full for 2.5 pounds of soap an cut it int little hairs no longer than an eyelash so it will easily dissolve in the lye. I have never noticed any odor.

 

[Millie]

To me the silk and lye solution smells very sweet and like clean dogs, but the smell turns my stomach. I'm curious what it smelled like to you? I used BB's tussah silk.
https://www.brambleberry.com/tussah-silk-fiber-p6041.aspx